Chapter 545: I prefer spending time with you.

“Pity me?”

Cheng Jia looked incredulously at Wen Ran. Was she implying that Cheng Jia was pitiable?

She was the one unable to conceive. How had she now become pitiful? Rage flared in her eyes as she glared hatefully at Wen Ran. “It’s you who’s pitiful, Wen Ran!” she spat out. “As a woman who can’t bear children, no better than a hen that can’t lay eggs, you won’t be able to keep Mo General.”

She paused, noting that Wen Ran seemed unfazed by her infertility. The serene look on Wen Ran’s beautiful face fueled Cheng Jia’s spite even more. “One day,” she said bitterly, “I will bear Mo General’s child.”

After uttering those words, as if finding them laughable herself, she puffed up her chest and forcefully strode into one of the cubicles.

Wen Ran stared at the door Cheng Jia had slammed shut. A hint of mockery unfolded on her lips. But the sharp sting of pain lurking in her fluid eyes was evident. She pressed her lips together and exited the restroom.

“Ranran, why were you gone for so long?”

As she pushed open her office door, there stood Mo Xiuchen, his tall figure casting a long shadow. His large hand was slightly lifted, as if about to open the door and go look for her.

Seeing her return, the worry and tension in his deep, black eyes dissipated and were replaced by a hint of a smile. He gently held her slender hand, noticing how cold it was. He furrowed his beautiful brows and asked, “Your hand’s cold. Are you feeling chilly?”

The warmth from his palm was seeping into her hand, filtering through her skin, while subtly sinking into her heart. Somehow, it stirred a taste of bitterness within her. Matching her gaze with his, which was filled with tender affection, she brushed aside the emotions brought about by Cheng Jia’s words and simply answered with a small smile, “Perhaps, it’s because I just washed my hands. Were you about to head out?”

“I was planning to find you.”

Mo Xiuchen straightforwardly voiced his concern and anxiety for her, rendering her heart to skip a beat. Holding her hand, he walked towards the sofa.

With her glazed eyes fastened on his perfect, handsome side profile, Wen Ran sat down beside him on the sofa. In a gentle voice, she inquired, “Did you finish work on all those documents?”

Mo Xiuchen hooked up the corners of his mouth into a smile. “Of course. We can leave work now.”

His heart had been hanging in suspense all day long.

Finally, he managed to keep her by his side for one more day. His eyes, intensely fixed on her beautiful face, were filled with affection as he softly suggested, “Ranran, what would you like for dinner? I will cook for you.”

Wen Ran lowered her gaze, avoiding his intense stare. The nicer he was to her, the more wistful she felt.

She had originally planned to leave that morning after all. But he was waiting in the living room. And she couldn’t bring herself to utter those words in front of him, which is why she was still sitting beside him now.

Back in the restroom, even though she appeared nonchalant towards Cheng Jia’s words, her heart was bleeding. No woman could genuinely remain indifferent.

“The food Nanny Zhang prepares is delicious enough. You don’t need to cook personally.”

“But I love it when you eat my cooking. If you can’t decide what to eat, I’ll just cook future meals and you can eat whatever is prepared. Let me pack up, then we’ll leave work, stop by the supermarket for ingredients and head home.”

Mo Xiuchen stood up and moved back to his office desk to pick up his belongings. Wen Ran opened her mouth to say something, but swallowed the words before they could choke out.

“Ranran, you should also pack your stuff.”

From behind his massive blackwood desk, Mo Xiuchen’s clear voice rang out. She looked up at his smiling face then stood to shut down her computer.

Mo Xiuchen walked out of the office with Wen Ran’s hand securely tucked in his. They ran into Luo Haofeng, who was coming to see him. Luo Haofeng’s mischievous eyes glanced at their entwined hands, as he jokingly asked, “Mo Xiuchen, are you leading the charge to leave work early?”

“What’s up?”

Mo Xiuchen shot him a look, implying, if there’s something you need, say it already. If not, don’t bother me and Ranran.

Scanning the intention behind Luo Haofeng’s eye, Mo Xiuchen asked, “You can’t go?”

The piercing intensity of his gaze had made Luo Haofeng’s smile waver. He finally confessed, “I was just joking with you. Don’t scrutinize me like that. But I did come to talk to you about something.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Whatever it is, we’ll discuss it tomorrow.”

Mo Xiuchen glared at him, leading Wen Ran away.

“Xiuchen, it’s still early. You can talk with Luo Haofeng first, and then we can leave work…”

“No need. Just by looking at him, I can tell he doesn’t have anything important to say.” Mo Xiuchen cut Wen Ran off, still holding her hand as they walked towards the elevator and pressed the button.

He drove her to the mall.

It was crowded at this time of day, so Mo Xiuchen held Wen Ran’s hand a bit tighter as they joined the throng of people.

When a handsome guy and a beautiful woman stroll around, they inevitably attract attention. Especially if the guy is as noble and attractive as Mo Xiuchen, his regal aura cannot but stand out in a crowd.

The shopping trip turned into a session of her picking out items, while he continuously gazed at her with tenderness in his eyes. As they moved around, numerous pairs of appreciative and admiring eyes would be cast towards him.

As Wen Ran had things on her mind, she didn’t feel like browsing for long. She quickly selected what she needed and went to the checkout counter to pay. Mo Xiuchen, one hand on the shopping cart and the other hand holding hers, stood in line behind other customers.

“Mo General, you don’t need to wait in the queue. Over here, please…”

The store manager came over, warmly greeting Mo Xiuchen. He cut her off, declining politely, “No need. I’m not in a rush. I’ll just wait in line.”

He enjoyed every minute spent with Wen Ran and cherished the normalcy of such a mundane couple’s life – just as he cherished the thought of spending the rest of his life with her, in peaceful bliss.

The purchases were not numerous. After paying the bill, he held the shopping bag in one hand and Wen Ran’s hand in the other. Their fingers were intertwined as he casually remarked, “Ranran, we’ll travel a bit once I turn over the company to Mo Zixuan. You can choose wherever you want to go this time.”

Wen Ran’s steps faltered slightly before she caught up with him. “Xiuchen, you don’t need to leave the company.”

Mo Xiuchen chuckled lightly as the corners of his mouth curved upwards, forming a warm smile. “I prefer being by your side.”

“…”

Just as Wen Ran was about to say something, a little girl came gamboling towards them, with a slightly older boy hot on her heels, shouting, “Sis, I’m gonna catch you!”

The little girl, unaware of her surroundings, glanced backward at her brother’s outcry. Giggling, she sped up her pace, heading straight for the shopping bag that Mo Xiuchen was holding. Noticing the potential collision, Wen Ran’s eyes tensed up and she instinctively cried out, “Watch out!”

Looking up with a puzzled expression, the girl narrowly avoided banging her face against the shopping bag. Mo Xiuchen deftly moved the bag aside and unconsciously let go of Wen Ran’s hand to steady the little girl.